Birth of a Barian Guardian
by Durbe the Barian
Summary: An explanation for how Sirius became a Barian Guardian, while taking into account canon knowledge from the anime. Hopefully, it'll make some amount of sense and not sound overly OOC.
1. Chapter 1

**Zexal Fanfiction**

**Birth of a Barian Guardian**

**Angst**

**Durbe/OC**

**An explanation for how Sirius became a Barian Guardian, while taking into account canon knowledge from the anime. Hopefully, it'll make some amount of sense and not sound overly OOC.**

**(Don't own Zexal. Just own Sirius, his deck, and Aquarii. I share Lyra with Aurasoul.)**

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><p><strong>D.T.B: I decided to put this story down while I have the chance. We haven't seen the rest of Durbe's legend yet, so this still works to some extent. Please enjoy Sirius' story. Durbe shall pop in only once in a while. Just to let you know that he's still alive.<strong>

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

Sirius' Death

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><p>His breathing was becoming heavy and slow. The entire world was becoming a heavy blur. His lifeblood was flowing freely from his heart. The air around him was smothering him. The ground was dyed red while the sky above him was being licked by orange flames.<p>

Sirius' fingers were inching their way through the loose dirt of his homeland. It might have been futile, and he would surely hate that which he would surely see, but he had to. He had to see the village he'd been raised in.

He looked forward, willing his vision to clear. Then he gasped. The Mad Prince himself was laughing at the burning village. What few men he had were laughing with him. In one of their hands was a blade, dyed crimson with Sirius' blood.

Tears were flowing down Sirius' face. He couldn't believe it. His village was a small village outside of the United Lands. They hadn't much. Only the land which they tilled, the children they raised, and the clothes on their backs. Why would Vector choose his home of all places to destroy? Was it not enough that he killed Princess Rio of the United Lands and killed an entire army? Did he have to kill everybody who would have a chance to oppose him before he was satisfied?

Sirius slowly clenched his hand and growled. "V-Vector," he spat.

Vector, despite laughing like a maniac, was able to hear his soft words and turned around. "Oh, is he still alive?" he asked, walking forward. "What's the matter, boy?"

Sirius didn't dare answer. Rather, he simply looked up at Vector with flames in his eyes. A knight walked up to him, wiping Sirius' blood from his blade. "Funny," he said. "I thought I hit him in the heart. Don't worry. I'll get him this time."

He then raised his blade over Sirius. Then he thrust it downward, only to be stopped by a large wolf with wings like those of a fallen angel. Her eyes were snapping with rage as she stared at his near-murderer. Beside her appeared a large, blue serpent with glimmering wings. His eyes were no different than the wolf's. "Guardian Wolf," Sirius thought wearily. "Glorious Serpent. Are you...protecting me?"

Vector let out a chuckle. "Leave him be," he said. "He's already dead. Let's go."

"Yes, sir," the knight responded.

Sirius chuckled. "The great Mad Prince...sparing a fallen opponent? Something tells me you've gone soft. Why...the change?"

Vector pretended not to hear him. "Let us go," he said. "This boy watching his village fall is all I need to see." He looked over to Sirius, his maddened grin on his face. "Take this memory with you to the underworld, boy!"

Then he walked away, his knights following closely behind.

Sirius could only let out another chuckle. He then looked towards the burning village again. "Okaasan," he said softly. "Lyra-chan...," a saddened smile appeared on his face; "gomen ne."

He then closed his eyes and loosened his grip on the ground. "Rei-kun..."

His soul had no desire to die, that was certain, but his body had no desire to live. His heart had stopped beating, his lifeblood finally going cold. Glorious Serpent held his wings over his master's body, with Guardian Wolf laying down beside him. Then their own bodies went cold, their skins becoming as hard as stone. Guardian Wolf and Glorious Serpent had fallen asleep alongside young Sirius, the master they had sworn to protect with their lives.

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><p>Sirius could feel a garnet glow touching his face. His body felt like it was submerged in thick water, yet his lungs demanded no air. "Where am I?" he caught himself thinking. "Oh yeah...I died. Durbe-nii...looks like I failed. I guess I wasn't good enough to fill your shoes, after all. I'm sorry, Durbe-nii."<p>

"_Sirius._"

Sirius' fingers twitched as his name reached his ears.

"_Sirius._"

The voice became clearer. He opened his eyes and nearly breathed in water.

Durbe was swimming down to him, his hand outstretched. "Sirius," he said, more clearly than before.

"Durbe-nii," Sirius thought. "Is it...really you?" His eyes closed again, and he felt himself sink further into the water.

Durbe swam faster and took hold of his brother.

Just as he touched his brother's hand, a bright light came from further underwater and grabbed hold of both twins. "What?" Durbe exclaimed. "Let-Let go of us!"

It didn't work. They were pulled further underwater. All Durbe could do was close his eyes and embrace his brother.

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><p>Sirius opened his eyes and found himself in a dark garnet room. He sat up and looked around. "Where...am I?" he asked.<p>

"Sirius."

Sirius froze. He knew he recognized that voice. He turned around and almost cried when he realized he was looking at his twin brother. "D-Durbe-nii?" Sirius asked slowly. "Is that...really...?"

Durbe placed his hand on Sirius' shoulder. "Sirius," he said with a slight smile.

Nothing could stop the tears after that. "Durbe-nii!" Sirius exclaimed. "You're not a ghost! I can feel you! You're not dead!"

Durbe wrapped one arm around his brother while placing his other hand on his head. "No, Sirius," he said. "I'm dead. But this place...I don't know where it might be. I doubt it's the underworld."

Sirius didn't respond. His happiness surpassed any other emotion that had been building up inside him.

Suddenly, a bright light emerged from underneath the garnet floor. Both brothers jumped away as a creature emerged from within.

An demon with no mouth.

He was a large man, standing about as tall as three horses, one on top of the other. His luminous skin was deep red and he possessed darkened wings with red diamonds embedded in them. Red eyes were looking down at them, and a monotonous laugh sounded from the demon standing before them. "Well, what do you know," he said, his voice sounding like it was going through a waterfall. "I aim to capture the soul of one, but instead, I capture two."

"Who are you?" Durbe asked, standing before his brother.

"The will of Barian World," the creature said, "Don Thousand!"

"I know that name," Durbe thought.

"Don Thousand?" Sirius asked.

"Which one of you tamed the Pegasus?" Don Thousand asked. ←(For the Will of Barian World, he's pretty stupid, huh?)

Durbe stepped forward. "That would be me," he said. "What of it?"

Don Thousand held a clawed finger towards the grey-haired knight. "You are the one who's soul is connected to one of those Numbers that keep me trapped here," he said.

"Number?" Durbe asked. He reached for his pocket, to the card he'd kept with him at all times. The one that resembled Mach to a point. His eyes widened when he realized it wasn't there. He must have dropped it when he died.

"Number?" Sirius asked. He stepped forward. "What are these Number things you're talking about?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with, boy," Don Thousand said. "Your soul isn't connected to any of the ones I need." He held his hand out. "You are useless to me, boy. Begone!"

A crimson light shot from his hand and aimed for Sirius. "Sirius!" Durbe exclaimed.

For some reason, Sirius didn't feel frightened in the least. Suddenly, two great shields revealed themselves from within his heart and protected him from the blast. All eyes widened. "What?" Don Thousand wondered aloud.

Durbe growled. "Leave my brother alone!" he snapped. "You say my soul is connected to the Number, right? So leave him alone!"

"Durbe-nii!" Sirius called. "Don't defend me."

"Stay out of this, Sirius," Durbe said, his eyes flashing a pink glow. Sirius backed away as a result.

"You would protect this child?" Don Thousand asked. "How sweet. You wish for his safety, then you must work for me...as one of my Barian Emperors."

"That's just crazy!" Sirius snapped. "No knight would stoop so low as to-"

"Fine then," Durbe said. "I'll be one of your Emperors."

"Durbe-nii!" Sirius said. "Don't do it! I can protect myself."

Durbe looked at him again, only this time, his face was slightly somber, and a pained smile was on his face. "Stay out of it, Sirius," he said.

"Durbe-nii...," Sirius breathed.

Don Thousand only laughed. "Very well," he said. "Then come, Durbe. Welcome to the Emperors."

A dark bridge appeared and Durbe proceeded to walk forward. "Durbe-nii!" Sirius exclaimed, running after him and grabbing hold of his sleeve. "Don't do this! Do you hear me?! Don't do this!"

Durbe turned himself around and grabbed hold of Sirius' arm. "Stop crying like a baby, Sirius," he said. Then he let him go and turned back to the bridge. "Goodbye."

Sirius' eyes widened when he heard that fatal word. That was exactly what their father had said to them before, and he'd never returned. No. Not again. "Durbe-nii! Don't go!" A jello-like barrier (For lack of a better word) suddenly appeared, preventing Sirius from advancing. "I just found you. I'm not going to lose you again! Durbe!"

Durbe didn't respond. Rather, he only flinched when he heard Sirius speak his name without adding 'nii' at the end. "Gomen ne, Sirius," he thought. "But this is to protect you. Sayonara."

A bright light engulfed Durbe as Sirius pounded on the barrier. "Durbe! Durbe! Durbe!" he shouted. "DURBE!"

Suddenly, a white light began to shine in his heart, though he failed to notice it. Don Thousand, however, did. "Well, what do you know," he said. "Just like the first, the second has the power necessary to duel." He then raised his hand to Sirius, a crimson glow enveloping his hand. "I think...I'll revive you as well. Who knows? You might be useful to me after all, Sirius the White Knight."

Sirius looked towards Don Thousand as a bright light forced the youthful knight away. His eyes were shut tightly, his hands held up to his face to defend himself.

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><p><strong>D.T.B: Yeaaah. This was supposed to be a oneshot, but I found that the plot would extend to up to three chapters at least. Sirius is impossible to write into oneshots, huh?<strong>

**Sirius: I fail to see why I'm getting in trouble for your inability to write short stuff.**

**D.T.B: Don't say that. I wrote you, didn't I?**

**Sirius: What is that supposed to mean?!**

**D.T.B: [Laughing too hard to answer.]**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

New World; Old Dangers

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><p>"<span>Where...where am I?<span>"

His ears could make out the sound of waves washing up against the land. His grey eyes fluttered open, and he found himself on a red beach. His entire body was worn to the bone, but regardless, he forced himself onto his knees. Then he thrust his hands over his chest, his face contorted with pain. What hit him?

Time slowed for a moment, then he pulled his hands away from his chest and looked at them.

Pure white. And he wasn't looking at gloves.

That was his skin.

He gave the rest of his body a quick scan. (Except his face, naturally.)

He was wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt and a matching sarong. The shirt had very simple designs on it, the most complex being a navy blue fleur-de-lis on his upper left chest, and the sarong was plain at best. In addition, he was wearing a pair of white boots, looking vaguely similar to those that a knight would so often wear. Finally, a strange red stone had embedded itself in his sternum.

With a brief hesitation, he reached up to his chest and felt the cold stone. "What...is this?" he asked himself. He looked up to the garnet sun. "Where...am I? Who am I?"

A name slowly began to flow into his mind.

Sirius.

"Sirius," he spoke. "Is that...my name?"

He had no answer.

His ears suddenly pricked up when he heard the water splashing near his feet again. He then turned and looked into its glassy surface.

Then he saw his face.

A pure white face with aquamarine lines on either side of his eyes. He lacked a mouth – something that strangely brought him no surprise – and his ears were slightly pointed. "Is this...me?" he asked himself, bringing one of his hands up to his left cheek. "Who is...me...?"

Silence.

Then the ruby water brushed against his other hand. Instantly, a wave of searing pain went through his arm. With a hiss, he pulled himself away as quickly as he could. That water was cold, to be sure, but it was also dangerous.

A cold fire.

That was the only thing that could describe it.

With a light sigh, he forced himself to his feet and started walking away from the beach. He would look to the cold waters only once in a while, but then he would quickly turn his head back. He had no desire to continue looking at it. He felt that if he continued looking at it, he would be pulled into its depths, never to be seen again.

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><p>(Meanwhile, elsewhere in Barian World)<p>

Grey eyes fluttered open. A garnet ceiling hung overhead.

"Where am I?"

A young wisteria-skinned boy pushed himself into a sitting position, his eyes narrow with exhaustion. "Where...am I?" he asked himself.

At that point, the door to the room he was sitting in opened up and a young woman appeared from behind it. "Are you awake?" she asked.

The boy turned to face her as she fully entered the room. She was a grey skinned girl with ocean blue hair cascading down her back. She had deep pink eyes and long eyelashes. In addition, she was wearing a white dress and matching gloves and boots.

Her face felt strangely familiar, but the boy couldn't quite pinpoint it. Like she was very special to him, yet not.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"My name is Merag," the girl responded. "Welcome to the Barian Emperor Palace."

"Barian Emperor?" the boy asked curiously.

Merag nodded. "So tell me," she said, "what's your name?"

"My...name?" the boy asked.

Again, Merag nodded.

The boy looked down to his wisteria hands. "Durbe," he said. "My name is...Durbe."

"Durbe," Merag repeated. "That sounds nice." She then turned back to the door. "I'll inform the others that you've woken up. Please wait here and recover your strength."

Then Merag left the room, leaving Durbe to look out his window, allowing him to see the garnet world.

He hadn't told her, but yet another name came to his mind when Merag had requested that he'd tell her his name.

Sirius.

If only he knew why...

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><p>Sirius didn't bother counting the number of days that passed by him. He would walk a short while, fall asleep, (More like pass out) get up, then get back to walking. He had no specific direction in which he was going. He was simply walking.<p>

He had quickly learned that the world around him was teaming with monsters that sought to end his life and devour his Chaos power. He had nothing to protect himself with, so he had developed a habit of waking himself up should he sense something dangerous. It was difficult, but it had eventually become second nature to him. And he was truly grateful for that. Had it not been second nature, he would have perished on the garnet sands of Barian World.

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><p>Sirius was shivering from head to toe. The nights on Barian World were cold and terrible. Not to mention, he had nothing to warm himself up. Just the flimsy clothing on his back.<p>

His dreams were haunted by images of flames and the screams of innocent people. Men, women, children, it didn't matter. He couldn't block them out, no matter how much he wanted to. Three faces in particular appeared in his mind's eye before he woke up, screaming, "Don't go!"

Instantly, he was in a sitting position, his hand held out before his face. His mask-like face was covered in sweat, (Dunno if it's possible. Keep an open mind.) and his eyes were wide from terror. "Wha...what was that?"

He hadn't the time for his question to be answered.

The ground below him soon began to shake.

His eyes shot upward as the air was torn by the shriek of a monster. He was correct. Before him stood a serpentine beast with twilight-colored scales. Its wings were jet black and claw-like protrusions were sticking out on the far corners. Its blood red eyes were looking down at him with a thirst.

Thirst for life.

Instantly, Sirius raced out from under the Baria Crystal that had become his makeshift fort and started running away from the monster, who only gave him a hiss in response. Then it started slithering after him, readying its clawed wings to attack. Sirius looked back for only a moment, allowing a brief hesitation in his movements.

The monster quickly seized his chance.

He flapped his wings, slashing Sirius' back with his razor sharp talons. The boy, in turn, let out a strangled cry, his hand thrust up to his shoulder. His entire body burned up with a torrent of searing pain as he hit the sandy ground beneath him. His entire body trembled as he tried to fight off the pain.

He opened his eyes for only a moment, allowing him to see the monster readying itself for an attack. It spread its wings outward, its claws glistening in the moonlight of Barian World. "N-No," Sirius thought. "This can't be happening. I'm gonna...I'm gonna die here!"

The monster then readied its fangs and lunged forward. Sirius could only close his eyes as he waited for the end to come.

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><p>There was no pain. There was no heat. There was nothing. Nothing in the least.<p>

"oy...Boy..."

Sirius wasn't dead. Why wasn't he dead?

His grey eyes opened up. He was resting in the arms of a young woman. Unlike himself, she had fair skin, lightly colored lips, and soft grey eyes. Her blue hair was held up in a low ponytail and she was wearing a blue cloak with a teal lightning design on one of the sleeves. Beside her stood a red Barian with a petite figure, shoulder-length red hair, and bright yellow eyes. She was wearing a ruby red cloak with gems embroidered on the shoulders.

"Are you okay, Mr. White Barian?" the red Barian asked.

Sirius turned to the side. The monster that had attacked him had been felled and was fading away. Beside the serpentine beast was an armored wolf-like creature with the number '108' burned into its shoulder. "What is that thing?" Sirius thought curiously.

"Boy?" the woman asked.

Sirius raised his tired head and looked at the woman who's arms were wrapped around him. Her gaze looked motherly.

He didn't know why, but he felt like he'd seen it before. "Are you alright, Boy?" the woman asked.

"Who...are you?" Sirius asked. "Why did you...save me?"

Then he fell unconscious, his head falling into the crook of her arm.

The young woman gave him a smile. "I'm your mother," she responded softly, tightening her grip on his body, turning her cradle into a hug.

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><p>He had lost track of time since the woman – Aquarii, she called herself – had found him and taken him under her wing. His strength had returned to him in small amounts, forcing him to recover in a Baria Crystal for quite some time. And even after he was released from that claustrophobic prison, he was forced to rest in a bed until he was ready to walk again and explore the world of Barian.<p>

That in itself took a total of many months – Barian terms. And he had very little to show for it. His back was scarred from the monster attack that nearly took his life. Though his shirt healed up, (Do not ask how. They're Barians.) his back would occasionally ache from the memory. Aquarii had told him it would more than likely never heal, regardless of what they did. But by the time she'd told him this, he no longer cared. He simply placed his hand on his back and looked out the window.

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><p>"Duel?" Sirius asked.<p>

Aquarii nodded. "That's right," she responded. "Can you duel?"

"I don't know," Sirius said. He then looked at the covers of the bed he'd been sleeping on and then at his hands. "I mean...I feel like I can. But I don't know if I remember any of it."

Aquarii lightly chuckled. "Well, alright then," she said. "In that case, you're going to need training."

"Training?" Sirius repeated.

Aquarii giggled and nodded. "Yes," she said. "Just so you can get the basics down." She told him this while stroking his face.

Something she had always done when whatever she was going to have him do was sure to get him into a mess of trouble, what with his attitude and all. But Sirius didn't back off. Instead, he simply gave her a Barian's equivalent of a smirk.

This was going to be interesting. He could feel it.

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><p><strong>D.T.B: Now we get to the big stuff. Sirius is going to human world and guess what? He's going to be in Heartland Tower! How are things going to go for him? I guess you'll have to read to find out, huh? But trust me, it's gonna be good. Hopefully, it'll also be the last chapter, unless I feel inclined to write a fourth one, which I more than likely will. <strong>

**Sirius: Oh, yeah. You sure as heck better. No way am I handling, like, three duels in the same chapter.**

**D.T.B: Actually, you're handling, like, two.**

**Sirius: STILL! **

**Lyra: Please review, everybody.**

**Antares: Yeah. And wish Sirius luck.**

**Sirius: HEY! **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Heartland Tower

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><p>Sirius was blown back as the dueling robot launched an assault at the children. "Sirius-kun!" a gruff voice called out. "You alright?"<p>

Sirius forced himself up, sweat pouring down his brow as he struggled to keep himself awake. Humans had such weak physiology. He couldn't believe he was forced to remain in such pitiful condition while he was on their low-energy world. "I'm fine," he said defiantly. "Just focus on your own safety, okay?!"

After a terrible struggle, he finally pushed himself to his feet, his duel disk hanging limply on his right arm. "Don't forget, children," another voice said, this one higher than the last. "You are the next generation of the elite duelists. You have to push yourselves to the limit and master your dueling skills."

Sirius only let out a growl. One of those days, he was going to pop that Mr. Heartland right in the nose. Not only was he annoying and sarcastic, he was also sadistic. All the evidence one needed to support that was all around them.

The tired kids, the mad dueling robot trying to kill them, the scratched up faces; nobody could deny that. Unless they were blind and deaf. Or Heartland.

The young Barian had taken a brief reprieve to wipe the sweat off his brow when the robot began to go crazy. Red electricity shot out from all its limbs and it began to spin wildly. "What's that!?" one of the girls shouted.

"It's going nuts!" a gruff voice said. "Everybody, get out of here!"

"Oh, no!" Mr. Heartland said over the intercom. "The dueling robot has gone crazy! You'll have to duel it to stop it!"

"I can imagine," Sirius said through gritted teeth. "I wonder what made it go crazy?"

Nobody had any more time for thinking. The robot began to physically attack the dueling students, one of them being a purple-haired girl who specialized in butterfly-type monsters. "Droite!" the owner of the gruff voice called out, seconds before getting hit himself.

"You fool!" Sirius shouted. "I told you to-"

He could no longer speak after that. The robot had sent him flying back as well. Everything went black after that, but he was just barely able to notice someone rescuing them all from the 'out-of-control' dueling robot.

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><p>"Okay, please look to the left," the doctor said.<p>

Sirius did as told, an ice pack resting on his head. "I'm fine," he mumbled. "I don't have a concussion or anything like that."

"We just wanted to make sure you're okay," the doctor said. "Some of the kids can't remember what they did today, that robot hit them so hard."

"I'm tougher than my body gives me credit for," Sirius growled, taking the ice pack off of his head. "So, who was the guy who saved us from that thing?"

"Tenjo," the doctor responded. "Tenjo, Kaito. He's a pretty good duelist. Probably the only one who was able to stay standing after that robot went berserk." He then patted his hands. "Okay, you're good to go, Sirius. Just be careful and don't take any naps today."

Sirius got off the bed and started for the door to the medical room. "Like I'd want to nap today," he mumbled, walking out of the room, his hand held up to his head.

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><p>(Lunch time.)<p>

Sirius nearly hurled when he saw the slop that the cafeteria people dumped on his plate. "Ugh," he groaned. "How do humans **eat** this stuff?"

He poked the oatmeal on his plate with a fork, then groaned again. "I wonder if it is possible to continue to function without sustenance," he moaned.

"What's the problem?" a voice asked. "Not used to the grub?"

Sirius hung his head. "Oh, please," he thought. "Spare me."

Instantly, a bulky arm was wrapped around his neck, forcing his breath out of his lungs. Gauche was right behind him, his own lunch in his hand. "What's the matter?" the 'gorilla duelist' asked. "Not feeling good?"

"I'd appreciate it if you release me from your death lock," Sirius growled. "I've got a headache and the last thing I need is no oxygen in my brain!"

Gauche released him immediately after. "Sorry 'bout that, then," he said, setting his plate beside Sirius and sitting down. "So what's up? Not used to the food?"

"I'm not sure what you mean by 'not used to,'" Sirius said. "I simply find this – as you call it – 'grub' to be repulsive."

"Eeh, you'll get used to it," Gauche said, moments before stuffing his face.

Sirius' skin soon went from pale to green. "A small part of me doubts that greatly," he thought.

He went back to his own food for a moment longer, but then pushed it aside. "I think I'll just go to the vending machine and grab a granola bar," he said. "See ya."

"Can I have your lunch, if you're not gonna eat it?" Gauche asked.

"Go nuts," was Sirius' response.

With a smile, Gauche started digging into the meal.

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><p>Sirius let out a small sigh as he bent down and scooped his granola bar out of the vending machine. Then he proceeded to pull the wrapping away from the bar of oats and chocolate. Why humans used such complicated wrapping, he'd never know.<p>

He took a quick bite out of his bar, his face twisting when he tasted the chocolate, as he walked down the empty hallway. However, he stopped when he noticed his reflection in a glass window. A youthful face – though his complexion was still pale – with grey eyes and shaggy white hair. His grey-rimmed glasses were sitting comfortably on his nose, but the collar of his suit was threatening to asphyxiate him.

He looked amazingly human.

"It's been a month now," he thought. "One month, Earth Time, since I first arrived here. I thought I'd be getting better in my dueling by now. But...," he let out another sigh; "that Tenjo guy is moving faster than I am. I wonder why."

Just as he turned a corner, he and a fellow duelist in training slammed into each other.

That, of course, resulted in a loud "SLAM," followed by a resounding "KATHUMP."

Sirius forced himself up and let out a groan. "Great," he growled. "Just what I need for a headache."

The two boys then said in a loud voice, "Watch where you're going, you idiot!"

Then they froze.

The person he was insulting was Kaito Tenjo.

* * *

><p>Total freeze.<p>

Sweat drop.

"Tenjo!" Sirius mentally exclaimed. "What on Barian World is **he** doing here!?"

Kaito then forced himself to his feet and patted his knees. "You alright?" he asked.

Sirius paused, then stood up. "Yeah," he said. "I'm tougher than this stupid human form makes me out to be!"

Then he froze again. 'Human form?' Whoops.

There was a very awkward silence between the two boys.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Kaito asked, sweat dropping slightly.

Sirius could hardly contain his laughter when Kaito asked that question. His cover had yet to be totally blown. And Kaito was about two seconds away from repeating his question. "I'm totally fine," Sirius said.

"You sure?" Kaito asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Sirius responded, a little more grouchily than the last time. "I'm fine."

"Other than a bump on my head, bruised pride, and a human organ that is threatening to burst, anyway," he mentally added.

Silence.

"Fine then," Kaito said, walking away.

Some more silence.

Then Sirius let out a very annoyed sigh. "Well, that's over with," he said, pressing his hand against his head. "Great. My headache's acting up again. Might as well head to my room and grab an ice pack.

* * *

><p>(Little later.)<p>

Haruto looked through the window of his bedroom. A random balloon floated past the glass wall. His blank eyes paid no heed to it, however. He hardly noticed it pass his window.

"Augh. Great. I took a wrong turn somewhere."

Haruto turned his head. Sirius had somehow found the stairs to Haruto's bedroom and gotten lost. "How do I do this?"

"Who are you?" Haruto asked.

Sirius' attention was grabbed. He jerked his head to the center of the room and looked over to the little boy. "Oh," he exclaimed. "Hi, kid. Um...where am I?"

"You're in my room," Haruto said monotonously. "Why are you here?"

"Just got lost," Sirius said simply. He then took a few steps forward until he was standing before the little boy. "So, who're you, kid?"

"Me?" Haruto asked. "Haruto."

"Ah. Haruto, huh? Cool name. Mine's Sirius." He held his hand to Haruto. "Nice to meetcha, Haruto."

Haruto paused for a moment. "I believe you place your palm in my own and shake my hand up and down," Sirius said. ←[He's not very knowledgable in human customs.]

Haruto did it slowly. But as soon as he touched Sirius' palm, the Barian could feel a wave of power flow through his being.

Chaos power.

Chaos power of one who was nothing but pure evil.

"What?" Sirius thought frightfully. "What is this!?"

Sirius couldn't remember much after that.

Well, other than something hitting the back of his head and him blacking out.

* * *

><p>"For the thirtieth time, I got lost!" Sirius shouted.<p>

He was holding an icepack against the back of his neck. Honestly, Heartland needed to learn to lighten up. He didn't have to whack him over the head with – what was that? A baseball bat? - to get him to stay away from Haruto. He could have simply pulled him away from the kid.

"Can I trust you to stay out of that boy's bedroom?" Heartland asked.

"Yes!" Sirius grouched. "Now can I **please** go to my room and lie down? My head is metaphorically killing me!"

Heartland raised an eyebrow. Sirius was about half a second away from slapping his forehead. He was going to have to remember to study the human language just a little bit more.

"Fine," Heartland said. "I'll let you go. But I expect you to stay out of his room from now on."

"You got it, Heartland-san," Sirius mumbled, spitting out the 'san' with such malice, you could cut it with a knife.

With that, he left the room, hoping to forget all about it.

Unfortunately for him, the lecture hadn't ended. No sooner than he got out of the room, Kaito grabbed him by the collar and pushed him against the wall. "Hey! Take it easy!" Sirius shouted. "I'd like to keep my neck, thank you!"

"What were you doing in my brother's bedroom?!" Kaito snapped.

Sirius' eyes widened and he stared at his attacker's face. "Haruto's your brother?" he asked.

"Th-Th-That's right!" the annoying little robot beside Kaito snapped. "Why were you in his room? Were you th-th-threatening his safety!?"

"Of, for crying- LET ME GO, YOU IDIOT!"

Then Sirius gave him a good shove, forcing the blond-haired duelist away from him. "For the fiftieth time today, I got lost," Sirius said. "I had no intention of hurting your brother in any way, shape, or form. I simply walked into the room, realized where I was, saw your brother, and started talking to him. That's **all**. Quite through with banging me up? I'm tired, I've got a headache, and the last thing I need is some human brat giving me an earful about some stupid misconception!"

He didn't give Kaito any time to speak after that. He walked away, rubbing the back of his head as he made his way to his room.

* * *

><p>Sirius opened the door to his room and let out a sigh. Unlike the other rooms, he had no roommate and the bare minimum when it came to furniture. (Just the bed.) He felt no need for human trinkets, seeing as how he was going to be leaving soon anyhow.<p>

With a light groan, he lowered himself into his bed and laid down. He didn't pull himself out of his training gear. He just needed to rest for a while. His head was totally killing him.

He opened his eyes slowly and looked up to the ceiling. The star design that was in Haruto's room was the same in just about every other room in the tower, and Sirius' room was no exception. "What a day," he mumbled, covering his face with his hand. "I wonder how much longer before I get the basics down and I can finally get out of here. I'm going to go crazy if I stay here much longer."

He then closed his eyes and dreamt of flying horses and wolves the size of steeds.

* * *

><p>The following morning, Sirius – who was in his wolf-patterned cotton pajamas and under his covers – was enjoying his sleep when Gauche burst into his room. "Hey, Sirius!" he shouted. "Wake up! We've got big news today!"<p>

Sirius moaned slightly and covered his head with his blanket. "Leave me alone," he groaned. "I'm snoozing here."

"But you have to hear this!" Gauche said. "We're all going to be taking dueling lessons individually, starting today."

"Joy," was Sirius' response.

"And wait'll you hear this," Gauche continued. "You're going to be studying under Mr. Heartland himself."

"Goody," Sirius mumbled.

Total silence enveloped the room.

Instantly, Sirius shot up in bed, his blanket flying off of him as he jerked his head over to Gauche. "WHAT?!"

* * *

><p><strong>D.T.B: Darn it. I guess the duel against Sirius and Heartland is gonna be next chapter. Sorry. :(<strong>

**Sirius: Good. I need a break.**

**D.T.B: Don't count your stars yet, Sirius. You've got trouble looming over the horizon.**

**Sirius: I'm screwed.**


	4. Chapter 4

**D.T.B: Ugh. This fic has totally taken on a life of its own. The Heartland Vs Sirius duel is gonna START in this chapter. It won't be completed until next chapter.**

**Sirius: Oh, please. Spare me.**

**Antares: She doesn't own Zexal. She just owns Sirius. But, since you guys LOVE Sirius so much, you can overlook the fact she doesn't own Zexal and enjoy her story.**

**Sirius: WHAT?**

* * *

><p>Chapter 4<p>

His Reason

* * *

><p>"Number 102: Holy Lightning – Glorious Halo!" Durbe shouted. "Direct Attack!"<p>

The monster fired his energy-filled arrow at his opponent, throwing Nasch off the ground and onto the floor.

[Nasch – ? → 0 LP]

Durbe walked up to his opponent and held his hand out to him. "That was a good duel, my friend," he said.

Nasch then slowly accepted the hand and got back on his feet. "You've been improving," he said. "I didn't see that last couple of moves coming."

"Only because you have been a strict teacher," Durbe said. It would have earned a laugh from somebody if anybody in the room learned how.

Well, anybody except the lunatic who was sitting in the far side of the room, laughing like a maniac. "Oh, please!" he exclaimed. "He hasn't taught you a thing."

"Vector," Durbe breathed, folding his arms across his chest. "What are you trying to say?"

"You heard me," Vector cackled, jumping off the garnet pillar he'd been sitting on and landing on his feet gracefully. "I've seen you." He then walked up to the Barians and started poking Durbe in the chest. "You and little Merag-chan have been dueling each other every night."

"And that is wrong?" Durbe asked. "I needed the practice and Merag was willing to help."

"No," Vector responded. "It's not wrong...as long as that's the only reason why you're dueling each other."

Durbe simply turned his head away. Why, that JERK!

Thank goodness Nasch didn't get what Vector was trying to say.

(I'm not gonna explain it either. You're gonna have to guess.)

"I'm going to the cliffs," Durbe said. "I need some fresh air."

"Good luck finding any here," Vector said.

Durbe chose to ignore that. Then he opened the overlay network and vanished, reappearing at the cliffs. He then sat down and looked out to the sea of acidic water that surrounded them.

His hand slowly reached for the gem over his heart. A feeling was gnawing away at him. Worry, perhaps? If so...worry for what?

His world?

Or somebody in it?

* * *

><p>(Meanwhile, in Heartland Tower.)<p>

"Gah!"

Sirius hit the hard floor, neck-first. Then he proceeded to skid across the ground, his life points dropping to zero.

His instructor, Mr. Heartland, turned off the D-Gazer attached to his glasses. "You're beginning to improve, Sirius," he said. "That time, you lasted five turns."

Sirius pushed himself back up with wobbly arms. "This guy," he thought, "is totally trying to kill me. What's his deal?"

"Let's take a break," Mr. Heartland said. "You're gonna need your strength for when you duel against Kaito."

Sirius' eyes widened. "H-Hang on a second," he exclaimed. "I thought the students were supposed to duel against their instructors."

"Yes," Mr. Heartland agreed. "But this is just for practice, and the two of you are the best we've got right now. Don't worry about it."

Sirius could only growl irritatedly as Mr. Heartland walked away. "What a total jerk," he said. "What's his deal anyway? What is he trying to teach me?" He then looked at his hand. "Why did he...even select me to be his student? Tenjo obviously would have been the better choice, if he had to choose between the two of us. So why didn't he pick him?"

He thought about it for a few minutes longer before he ruffled his hair and let out a groan. "I can't think of anything!" he exclaimed. "MO!"

"Can't think of what?"

Sirius froze.

Then he turned his head. Kaito was standing right there and quite frankly, he looked like he was about to explode.

"Oh, Barian World," Sirius mentally breathed. "Not now."

"Look, I don't want to duel you anymore than you want to duel me," Kaito said bluntly. "So let's get this over with so that way we can get out of here."

"For once, we're in agreement," Sirius said.

Then the both readied their duel disks and threw on their D-Gazers.

"_Augmented Reality Vision Link Established,_" a voice said.

The boys then drew their cards.

"LET'S DUEL!"

* * *

><p>Chris looked down at his student as the duel began.<p>

"So, Chris," Heartland said, "how do believe your protege will fare in this duel?"

"Mr. Heartland," Chris said, turning to face the green-suited man. "I have no doubt that he shall put up a good fight."

"What a coincidence," Heartland exclaimed. "I thought the same thing for my little protege!" (Ugh. I am hearing his voice in my head. HEARTFLY IS HAUNTING ME!)

"Then I suppose it shall be a duel to watch," Chris said.

"Indeed," Heartland said. "So tell me. Who do you think shall win?"

"I don't know," Chris admitted. "I'm all for watching and seeing it for myself."

"Agreed."

* * *

><p>"I'll go first, if you don't mind, Tenjo," Sirius said. "Boku no turn! Draw!" He flipped his card up and smiled when his eyes met the monster's. "Sacred Wing – Griffon o shoukan!"<p>

The white griffon appeared on the field, beating his wings to stretch them out.

[Sacred Wing – Griffon. Lv. 3. 1600 ATK, 1500 DEF]

"Sacred Wing – Giant Eagle o tokushu shoukan!"

The second monster appeared on the field, releasing a loud caw.

[Sacred Wing – Giant Eagle. Lv. 4. 1400 ATK, 1200 DEF]

"What's he planning?" Kaito thought. "It can't be an Xyz summon because his monsters don't have the same level."

Sirius chuckled. "Don't worry," he said. "I'm not Xyz summoning."

"Huh?" went Kaito.

"I'm sacrificing!" Sirius said. "I sacrifice my Sacred Wing – Griffon and Sacred Wing – Giant Eagle!"

Both monsters then vanished from the field and a sword appeared in their place. Then Sirius took the sword, pierced the ground with the silver blade, and turned the sword like a key. "Grand Beast of the land of Light, release yourself from your chains and become my servant! Arewarero! Sacred Wing – Guardian Wolf!"

The entire room began to shake and a large white wolf broke through the floor, appearing on the field as she shook the debris out of her fur.

[Guardian Wolf. Lv 10. 2800 ATK, 3000 DEF]

"Kaado ichi mai sette!" Sirius said. "Turn end!"

"A level ten monster with 2800 attack points?" Kaito thought. "That's strange. There's gotta be something deadly about it."

"Ore no turn!" Kaito shouted. "Draw!"

He looked at his card, then nodded. "Because I have no monsters on my field, I can special summon Photon Thrasher."

The photon swordsman appeared on the field, readying his blade to pierce through Guardian Wolf's fur.

[Photon Thrasher. Lv. 4. 2100 ATK, 0 DEF]

"Yeah, keep that barber away from my wolf," Sirius said. "She's already had a bath today."

"Oh, he's not going to attack her," Kaito said. "Next, I summon Photon Crusher!"

The hammerman of the photon army then appeared on the field, his cyclops eye staring Guardian Wolf down.

[Photon Crusher. Lv. 4. 2000 ATK, 0 DEF]

"Ooh," Sirius breathed sarcastically. "What's he gonna do? Give her that hammer as a chew toy?"

"Hardly," Kaito said. "Now I sacrifice both my Photon Thrasher and Photon Crusher!"

Both monsters then vanished and a headpiece appeared in their place. Kaito took it in his fingers and threw it into the air. "Yami ni kagayaku gingayo. Kibou no hikari ni narite waga shimobe ni yadore!"

"We're more alike than I thought," Sirius said. "I'm actually pretty surprised."

"Hikari no kenshin, koko ni korin. Arawareyo, Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon!"

All the light was then pulled into the center of the room. "Wh-What's going on?" Sirius asked, covering his face with his arms.

He briefly opened his eyes and looked towards Kaito's field. Then his eyes widened.

He was looking at a monster made entirely of light.

With eyes like the galaxy.

[Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon. Lv. 8. 3000 ATK, 2500 DEF]

"What...What is that thing?!" Sirius exclaimed.

The great dragon then narrowed its eyes and let out a piercing roar, which was reciprocated by a howl from Guardian Wolf.

"What's going on?" Kaito asked, noticing the monsters clearly did not like each other.

"Got me!"

* * *

><p>"Sir, the monsters' power levels are going crazy," a scientist reported.<p>

"How is that possible?" Chris asked.

Though they didn't notice, Heartland let out a low chuckle. "It looks like Photon Dragon has smelled your power, Sirius," he thought. "He knows. He knows what you are."

* * *

><p>Soon after, both monsters calmed down, though they still chose to look each other in the eyes like they were going to murder each other. "Alright," Kaito said. "Go, Galaxy-Eyes! Attack his Guardian Wolf with Photon Stream of Destruction!"<p>

The blue dragon threw its head back and sent the attack towards the white wolf below.

"I don't think so, Tenjo!" Sirius shouted. "Trap, HATSUDO! **Suicide Attack!**"

"And what's that?" Kaito asked.

"I take damage from your attack," Sirius said, "but your monster is the one that gets destroyed."

"What?!"

"Sorry. I'm not too eager to let a girl get hurt. Especially when she's risking neck and fur to protect me."

"Then I activate Galaxy-Eyes' special ability!" Kaito said. "Both our monsters are banished."

"Sorry, hate to break it to you, Tenjo," Sirius said, "but Guardian Wolf's ability negates yours until my next Standby Phase."

Both monsters then lunged at each other, fangs bared.

Their attacks connected...

And everything went white.

* * *

><p>Sirius was standing before the great beast of the skies.<p>

Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon.

He didn't know why, but it looked like the monster was angry with him. "What do you want?"

The beast narrowed its eyes at him, sending a wave of hatred through Sirius' body. It was so cold, Sirius caught himself shivering.

"_You..._," the dragon growled. "_Barian..._"

"You know...what I am?"

The dragon didn't answer. Instead, it lunged forward, ready to attack him.

There was a flash of light and next thing Sirius knew, yet another monster was in front of him.

A serpent with glimmering blue wings.

A number – 110 – burned into one of the wings.

Protecting him.

"What's...that?"

"Galaxy-Eyes! Enough!" the serpent said. "He is not an enemy to your master!"

"What's going on here!?" Sirius shouted.

"_Master, come. Before that beast loses her temper again._"

"Huh?"

Everything went white again, and next thing Sirius knew, he was on the ground in the middle of the field. Both monsters were gone from the field, meaning that everything ended unexpectedly.

"Ow," he groaned. "What was that? What...were they talking about?"

"Kaito!"

Sirius instantly jerked his head to the side. Chris was helping Kaito back on his feet, the adolescent being about two seconds away from passing out. "Kaito!" Chris exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Kaito responded, holding the side of his head.

Sirius remained silent as he lifted himself up and looked at his hand. "That was crazy," he thought. "What happened?"

"Well, that was an interesting duel!" Heartland said, his voice bouncing off the walls of the room they were in. "And to think, it ended so soon."

"Hey, Heartland," Sirius snapped. "Enough with the little carefree-'oh-everything-ended-happily-don't-worry-about-it' attitude! I've had it with that attitude!"

Then he started walking away, throwing hid duel disk to the side.

"Where are you going, Sirius?" Heartland asked.

"Back to my room so I can explode in peace!" Sirius shouted back, walking out of the room and down the hall.

"Well, he's an odd one," Heartland said.

"Yeah," Kaito responded. "He is."

"He kind of reminds me of you, Kaito," Chris said.

"Get real," Kaito said, pulling himself way from Chris and walking away.

Well, tried to walk away.

The world went blurry and he fainted shortly afterwards.

* * *

><p>(Later that day, in the medical room.)<p>

Sirius stood in the doorway of the medical room, his shoulder against the doorstop. Kaito was resting on a spare bed, his little brother practically shaking him to get a response out of the unconscious duelist. "Nii-san," he squeaked. "Are you okay? Come on. Get up."

Sirius let out a sigh and walked over to Haruto's side. Then he bent down and placed his hand on the young boy's shoulder. "Don't worry," he said. "Your big brother's gonna be just fine."

"Huh?" went Haruto, turning his head to face the white-haired Barian.

"He's tough," Sirius said. "So I wouldn't worry. After all, he's working for you, right? He wouldn't leave you for any reason."

Haruto then gave Sirius a bright smile – well, as bright as a freaked out boy with Chaos powers could anyway – and wrapped his arms around the Barian's neck. "Arigato," he squeaked.

Sirius didn't respond verbally. Instead, he gave him a pat on the back and stood up.

"Excuse me, Sirius-kun?"

Sirius turned his head. Chris was in the doorway. "I'm sorry," Chris said. "But I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Kaito needs his rest."

"Okay," Sirius responded. "I was just leaving anyway." He looked over to Haruto. "You be a good kid, okay?"

Haruto gave him a terse nod.

And with that, Sirius left the room, saying, "Tell Tenjo I said 'hi,' okay, Doc?"

Chris could only sigh. Sometimes, the doctor's jacket didn't give him the titles he was looking for.

* * *

><p>Sirius walked aimlessly through the halls for a few minutes, his duel against Kaito racing through his head every twenty seconds. Finally, with a heavy sigh, he fell against the wall and covered his face with his hands. He really needed to clear his head.<p>

"Hey, Sirius," a familiar voice said. "What's the matter?"

Sirius pulled hands away from his face and looked to the side. "Oh, Gauche," he said. "Nothing. Just thinking."

"'Bout what?"

"Nothing that you need to concern yourself with," Sirius snapped. "Now please, I would like to be left alone."

"Fine then," Gauche said. "I'll go."

Then he turned around and took a few steps forward before Sirius said, "Hey. Do you remember what you told me when I first dueled you? That everybody has a reason to duel? And that it's what pushes them to get stronger and win, even if the odds were against them?"

"Yeah," Gauche said. "Why'd you bring it up?"

"No reason," Sirius said. "I'm beat. I'm going to bed." He then pushed himself away from the wall and started for his room.

"Oh!" Gauche exclaimed. "Don't forget. You still owe me a duel."

"Hai, hai," Sirius chuckled, waving his hand in the air and walking away.

* * *

><p>(In his room.)<p>

He pushed the door closed with his back and let out a sigh. Then he placed his hands on his face again. "So that's why Tenjo is so strong," he said to himself. "Because he's got Haruto." He then slid against his door and sat down on the carpeted ground. "I, on the other hand...what do I have? What's my reason...to duel?" He looked at his hands, now wet with slight tears. "Is it just to get stronger and live better on Barian World? Why...," he buried his face in his hands again; "why do I duel?!"

* * *

><p>(The following afternoon.)<p>

He'd made his decision after that night. And Heartland knew it when he went into his office and found a note.

_Meet me at three PM in the Training area. We have matters to discuss._

Heartland, naturally, didn't know who it was, but fear, if anything, pulled him to the training area that afternoon. Whoever had called him like that was nothing if not plucky.

Imagine his surprise when he saw Sirius in the middle of the room, wearing a light grey turtleneck shirt and black slacks.

"Hello, Heartland," Sirius said. "I've been waiting for a while now."

"What's going on, Sirius?" Heartland asked. "Is this a joke?"

"Hardly," Sirius said. "I don't joke."

"Oh really?"

"I'm going to just cut to the chase, Heartland," Sirius said, placing one hand on his hip. "I'm done. I have all the training I need in dueling. So I'm outta here."

"You do realize that I can't do that, right?" Heartland asked. "You don't have near enough training. You can't leave yet."

"Yes, I can," Sirius said. "I'm not going to become one of your pathetic Number Hunters, Heartland." Heartland froze. "Yeah. News flash. I know what you're doing. You're not training these kids to become the next 'elite' Duelists of the world. You're using them to collect Numbers when the time comes."

"Whatever could you be talking about?" Heartland asked, giving him a shrug. "Why would I want them to collect numbers? They're all over the place."

"You mean ones like the one you've got in your pocket?" Sirius asked.

"Wha-?"

"I'm done playing games, Heartland," Sirius said, holding his right arm outwards. "Duel me! If I win, I leave and you leave my team alone. You don't even touch a hair on their heads."

"Your team?" Heartland asked. "You mean Droite and Gauche?"

"And Tenjo and his little brother," Sirius clarified. "I don't want you to hurt any of them any more."

"Whatever might you be talking about?"

"Don't play games with me, Heartland. I know who you really are. You're nothing more than a little puppet for Barian World to play with until they get bored and cut your strings."

That earned him an angered expression from the Heart Burning maniac. "And if you lose?" Heartland asked.

Sirius remained silent for a moment. "Then I'll be your puppet in their stead," he said.

"Very well," Heartland said. "Those are excellent stakes. Ready your duel disk, Sirius."

"With pleasure!" Sirius shouted. "Duel disk, SET!" A white duel disk appeared on his arm, a wolf carved into the front.

Heartland simply threw on a spare.

"D-Gazer, SET!"

Sirius pulled his wing-shaped D-Gazer over his ear.

Heartland, again, simply pulled on one of the spares they had scattered throughout the tower.

They quickly drew their cards.

"LET'S DUEL!"

[Heartland's LP – 4000] [Sirius' LP – 4000]

* * *

><p>"I'll allow you the honor of attacking first, Sirius," Heartland said. "As your instructor, I'll take the first move. Watashi no turn! Draw!" He gave his hand a quick scan. "I summon <strong>Plague Fly<strong> to the field in attack mode!"

"Plague Fly?" Sirius asked curiously.

The dark fly appeared on the field, buzzing irritatedly.

[Plague Fly. Lv. 1. 100 ATK, 100 DEF]

"Uh, gross," Sirius said nonchalantly.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Heartland said. "I activate Plague Fly's ability. When you have no monsters on the field, I can deal you 400 points of damage for every card in your hand."

"Nani?" Sirius exclaimed, looking at his hand.

"We just started the duel. You have a total of five cards," Heartland said. "So that means...that you get dealt 2000 points of damage."

"Already!?"

"Go, Plague Fly! **Black Plague**!"

The bug then launched itself over to Sirius, a darkened cloud following it.

"This isn't good," Sirius thought worriedly.

The black cloud attacked Sirius head-on. Instantly, Sirius started coughing up a lung as he fell to his knees.

[Sirius – 4000 → 2000 LP]

"Did that hurt, Sirius?" Heartland asked. "Good. Now, I play the spell card, **Swarm. **This allows me to summon another Fly monster to the field from my hand."

"That was far from good," Sirius thought, his shoulders heaving. "If he has another copy of that monster in his hand, I'm a goner. It'll be an OTK."

"So I summon another Plague Fly!"

The second fly appeared on the field. "But don't worry, Sirius," Heartland said. "I can only activate the effect of Plague Fly once per turn. You're safe."

Sirius let out a sigh of relief.

"Though not for long," Heartland said. "I overlay my two Plague Flies! XYZ SHOUKAN!"

Sirius watched with terror in his eyes. Everything around him was going cold and his ears were buzzing.

"Arewarero, Number 109: Death King of Flies!"

(I'm not going to describe it. His REAL Number was nauseating enough.)

[Death King of Flies. Rank 1. 100 ATK, 100 DEF]

"What...is that thing?" Sirius asked.

"Your doom, Barian," Heartland said with a cackle.

"Barian?" Sirius asked. "So then- That means-"

"Exactly," Heartland said. "I know your secret. Sirius the Barian."

* * *

><p><strong>D.T.B: OH NO! Sirius. Heartland found out.<strong>

**Sirius: Go figure.**

**D.T.B: Okay. Next chapter, we'll see Sirius get his Honor Knight. Yay.**

**Sirius: Leave a review. **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Serpent of the Seas, Knight of the Land!

* * *

><p>Sirius couldn't believe his ears. "What's the matter, Sirius the Barian?" Heartland asked. "Baria cat got your tongue?"<p>

"How did you find out?" Sirius coughed. "I may be a bad actor, but I'm good enough at concealing my identity from you humans. What tipped you off?"

"Simple," Heartland said. "A friend of mine informed me when you arrived."

"A friend?" Sirius thought curiously. "So, you mean another Barian, don't you?"

"BIIIINGOOOO!" Heartland shouted, forcing Sirius to cover his ears to prevent deafness from the resulting echo.

Sirius let out a small huff and pulled his hands away from his ears. "I see," he said. "So that explains everything. Why you picked me to be your student instead of Tenjo. Why you pitted me against Tenjo. Everything!"

"Exactly," Heartland said. "I wanted to see what a Barian could do. So far, I'm not impressed. "So far, Kaito's been doing been better than you."

Sirius growled. "Of course he is," he thought angrily. "He's got a purpose in his dueling."

"So what?!" Sirius shouted, pushing himself to his feet. "It's not like it matters!"

"Go ahead and say that," Heartland said. "I lay one card facedown and end my turn."

"Which makes it my turn!" Sirius shouted. "I draw!"

He pulled his card from his deck, seconds before a wave of pain passed through his body, forcing him to double over. Then he let out a dry cough, worse than his previous ones.

Heartland, unfazed by what he saw, instead let out a loud laugh. "You don't seem too healthy right now, Sirius," he said. "Could you still be under the influence of my **Plague Flies**? Maybe you should forfeit right now and go to the nurse."

Sirius simply wiped his lip and growled. "Don't be so sure of yourself, Heartland," he said. "I'm still in this game." He looked at his hand. Then pulled one of his cards out. "And I summon **Sacred Wing – Healing Falcon**!"

A sky-blue falcon with a golden belly appeared on the field, spreading its wings as it let out its cry.

[Sacred Wing – Healing Falcon. Lv. 4. 1500 ATK, 1600 DEF]

"Now, I special summon Sacred Wing – Giant Eagle!"

[Sacred Wing – Giant Eagle. Lv. 4. 1400 ATK, 1200 DEF]

Heartland chuckled. "Are you truly planning on attacking me with those beasts?" he asked.

Sirius growled and tightened his grip on his hand. ←[The card hand. Not the hand hand.]

"_Master..._"

"Huh?"

Sirius suddenly felt as if something was twisting inside him. He grabbed hold of his shirt and attempted to steady his breathing, his eyes wide with terror.

"_Have no fear, Master,_" a voice said. "_I have come to help you. Please, increase their strength and summon me to the field of battle. I shall render you assistance."_

"What...are you talking about?" Sirius choked out.

"Sirius?" Heartland called out with a raised eyebrow.

"_Please, Master, have no fear. I shall not harm you. So please, trust my pow'r as you did before and SUMMON ME!_"

Sirius sighed. Then closed his eyes.

Then he opened them again, revealing deep blue colors swimming through his irises. "Now, I play," he said, "the spell card, **Double Level**!"

He threw his card onto his disk.

"This allows me to double the level of two or more monsters, so long as their levels are the same," Sirius explained. "So my birds shift from level four to level EIGHT!"

[Sacred Wing – Healing Falcon; Giant Eagle. Lv. 4 → 8]

Then he threw his hand into the air. "Now I overlay my Sacred Wing – Giant Eagle and Healing Falcon!"

Both monsters became rays of light that took to the skies. "XYZ SHOUKAN!" The blue in his eyes quickly vanished as a chant escaped his lips. "Oh, great dewdrop, shine! Become the ray of light that surpasses time, and become my vassal! The embodiment of water, the creature that flows with this magical land, the defender of knights, and ally to lightning! Arewarero, Nambazu Hyakuju! Sacred Wing – Glorious Serpent!"

A fierce monster then appeared on the field, swatting its tail at all it could see. Bright, fierce eyes stared down at his opponent, and glimmering blue wings opened wide. A loud roar pierced the air, shaking everything around it.

Sirius' eyes widened when he got a good look at it.

The beast that saved him from Galaxy-Eyes.

[Number 110: Glorious Serpent. Rank 8. 3000 ATK, 1500 DEF]

* * *

><p>"A Number?" Heartland asked in disbelief. "How did you...get one of those monsters?"<p>

Sirius' breath came out short and heavy. "How am I supposed to know?" he asked. "All I know...is that this guy is gonna help me pound you to dust." He held his hand forward. "Sacred Wing – Glorious Serpent no kouka, hatsudo! By detaching one overlay unit, I can summon one monster from my hand, ignoring the summoning conditions." He then threw his chosen monster onto his duel disk as Glorious Serpent swallowed his overlay unit whole. "So I summon Sacred Wing – Guardian Wolf!"

The great protector then appeared on the field, letting out a fierce howl.

[Guardian Wolf. Lv. 10. 2800 ATK, 3000 DEF]

"Impressive," Heartland said. "You now have two monsters on the field." A fierce grin then appeared on his face. "And to think, you're going to lose because of them."

"Huh?"

"First, I activate my trap!" Heartland shouted. "**Power of the Buzz!** Thanks to this little trap, you can't attack any bug monsters on my field for the rest of this turn."

"Oh great," Sirius mentally growled. "Now Guardian Wolf's ability won't work."

"Now, I activate my Number's special ability!" Heartland shouted. "By using one overlay unit, I'm allowed to deal you damage equal to half the attack points of one of your monsters."

Sirius' eyes widened when those words touched his ears. "What?!"

Heartland gave him that insane grin. "You know what?" he asked. "I'll choose your serpent! So that means that you're going to take 1500 points of damage!"

Death King of Flies then looked over to Glorious Serpent, his overlay unit vanishing into his chest. Then a great beam of energy appeared where the overlay unit vanished and fired at Sirius.

The Barian Guardian could only hold his arms up to his face as he was blown back, his life points dropping to 500.

A terrible cough escaped Sirius as he hit the wall behind him, falling to the ground in a heap. His arms felt like rubber as he forced himself back up.

"You might as well surrender now, Sirius," Heartland said. "You won't be able to win. Not with your life points as low as that."

Sirius then let out a 'tch.' "Don't push your luck," he said. "I'm not surrendering. Not now. Not EVER!"

He then forced himself back onto his feet, his breathing becoming slightly labored.

"Hmph," went Heartland, a scowl forming on his face.

"Kaado ni mai sette," Sirius said. "Turn end."

Heartland laughed. "Watashi no turn," he said. "DRAW!" He then looked at his card. "Heh. I equip Death King of Flies with the equip spell card, **Bug Bite.** This allows my monster to gain 500 attack points times the rank of one Xyz monster on your field. You have one, who's a rank 8. Do the math, Sirius."

"4000 attack points," Sirius said, wide-eyed.

"That's right!" Heartland exclaimed.

The vile monster on Heartland's field then let out something that sounded remotely like a howl. ←[If anybody could accurately describe it, something was wrong in their noggin'.]

[Death King of Flies. Rank 1. 100 ATK → 4100 ATK]

"Now, I attack your Sacred Wing – Guardian Wolf!"

Sirius instantly jerked his head to face his friend, only to receive an apologetic look in response. "Guardian!" he inwardly exclaimed.

"Now, attack, my beast!" Heartland screamed. "Royal Execution!"

* * *

><p>"I activate my trap!" Sirius shouted. "<strong>Sunburst Moonfall!<strong>"

"What?" Heartland asked.

"When a Dark-Attribute monster targets one of my Light-Attribute monsters," Sirius explained, "My monster is spared and I only take half the damage."

"Then you take 650 points," Heartland said. "You're still losing the duel."

Sirius grinned. "Am I?"

"Huh?" Heartland raised an eyebrow.

"I play my other trap! **Sacred Cry!** During damage calculation, when the damage I would be taking has been reduced, this trap halves the damage again! So instead of 650, I only taking 325 points of damage!"

The attack then exploded mid-way, throwing Sirius back again. He hit the wall, forcing a violent breath out of his lungs as he fell to the ground.

[Sirius' LP – 500 → 175]

Heartland suddenly fell into a bout of laughter. "Oh, Sirius," he said, "you managed to hold on by a mere thread. And that thread shall snap on your next turn. So come on. Surrender. Surrender, and I'll spare you."

Sirius then forced himself back up again, his breath heavier than ever. "How about you get a life, Heartland?" he spat. "I'd sooner throw away my deck than surrender to you."

Heartland could only chuckle. "Are all Barians as stubborn as you, Sirius?" he asked.

"Probably less so," Sirius said. "Aquarii-san told me that I had the Barians beat in the stubbornness factor."

"Hmm," went Heartland. "No matter. You're going to lose in your next turn anyway. So make it."

Sirius then picked himself up the rest of the way and looked down at his deck, a growl escaping between his teeth. "This is just great," he thought. "As much as I hate to admit it, he's right. As soon as I draw my card, he can activate Death Fly's ability and take me out." His eyes narrowed as he suppressed his growing frustration. "I might have really lost this duel!"

"Oh, what's the matter, Sirius?" Heartland asked. "Upset? Frustrated that you failed your precious friends?"

Sirius raised his head and looked over to Heartland. Then his face twisted into a scowl, closely resembling a dog. ←[Be honest. A scowl **would** make him look like a dog. Admit it.]

"If it makes you feel any better," Heartland continued, "I wasn't going to leave your friends alone if you won."

The young Barian paled when those words reached his ears. "W-What?"

"You heard me," Heartland said. "Why would I risk losing so many great Number Hunters in a single duel against you? A Barian? Even if you are a second-rate duelist, I couldn't afford to risk it."

"Second-rate?" Sirius thought, all his breath escaping him as he lowered his head.

"I could risk losing you," Heartland continued. "Your duelings skills are shoddy at best, so it wouldn't have affected our plans in any way. But Gauche, Droite, and Kaito-"

"Shut your yap, Heartland," Sirius said under his breath.

Instantly, Heartland raised his eyebrow. "Nani?"

Sirius began to glow an angry white, his sleeves being picked up by a light breeze. "You have no honor," he growled. "You have no principals. All you ever do...is torture innocents. You don't care about the safety of your precious students; of the 'Elite Duelists of this Generation.'" He raised his head and looked at Heartland again, tears escaping his eyelids. "You are no duelist! You are nothing more than a conniving, heartless, PUPPET!"

The glow then shone brightly, enveloping Sirius in its embrace. Seconds later, the glow shattered, revealing Sirius.

Sirius the Barian.

* * *

><p>"Wh-What is this?!" Heartland exclaimed. "How did you-?!"<p>

Sirius wiped his tears away and looked at his hands.

His pure white hands.

"I shifted to my Barian Form," he said softly. "But how...is that possible?"

He gave the room a quick scan again, connecting the dots quickly enough. "I see," he said. "This room..."*

"He figured it out," Heartland thought angrily.

Sirius turned back to Heartland. "You're nothing more than a puppet of Barian, Heartland," he said. "And when whoever your little 'friend' is is done with you, they won't hesitate to cut your strings."

His hand then began to glow with a white sheen. "And quite frankly, neither would I. Time for you to receive the justice you so richly deserve."

"Are you in any position to be saying that, Sirius?" Heartland asked, shrugging. "I still have all my life points, while you're down to a measly 157 points. What can you do in this situation? Especially with those weak monsters on your field?"

"Better watch that tongue of yours, Heartland," Sirius said, placing his hand on his deck. "You'll find that all it's gonna bring you is trouble. Like right now, for example! BOKU NO TURN! DRAAAAW!"

He then ripped his card from his deck, the card shining with an alabaster glow. Then his eyes narrowed when he discovered what he had drawn. "I play the spell card, **Xyz Breakdown!** I negate the activation of your overlay units for the rest of my turn, and I get to draw one card for every overlay unit negated." Instantly, the overlay unit that spun around Death Fly froze in its tracks. "You have one overlay unit, Heartland. So I get to draw one card."

He then pulled his next card from his deck. "Next, I play the spell card, **Sacred Feather**. This lets me draw two cards from my deck." Then his eyes widened. "And I summon **Corvus the Sacred Wing Pup!**"

The summoning circle appeared on the field, and a puppy pulled itself out. Unlike the other fierce beasts he's summoned in the duel, this creature was tiny, fluffy, and downright adorable. Even its sneeze – which came out of it immediately after its summons – was something any crazy fangirl would go 'ooh' and 'awwww' about.

[Corvus the Sacred Wing Pup. Lv. 4. 1300 ATK, 1400 DEF]

Heartland just had to laugh at the puppy. "That's your big move?" he asked. "It's a puppy with no extra oomph? You won't be able to win with him on the field."

"Oh, really?" Sirius asked. "I beg to differ. You see, when Corvus is used in an Xyz Summon, he counts as two overlay units."

The little puppy sneezed again as a mirror image appeared beside him.

"Now, I overlay my Corvus! XYZ SHOUKAN!"

Corvus let out a little yip as he became a ray that took to the sky.

"Oh, Knight that wields the sword of Justice and carries the shield of Honor, appear before us in this duel!" Sirius chanted. "Arewarero, Nambazu Hyakujuni!"

A great knight then appeared on the field, swinging his sword with all his might.

"Sacred Wing – Honor Knight!"

[Sacred Wing – Honor Knight. Rank 4. 2500 ATK, 2000 DEF]

* * *

><p>Heartland was too stunned to speak. Yet another Number? Where on any world did Sirius get that? (You guys <strong>do<strong> know where he got it, right?) "Wh-What?" Heartland just barely choked out.

"Sacred Wing – Honor Knight no kouka, hatsudo!" Sirius commanded. "By detaching one overlay unit, Honor Knight can attack directly."

Honor Knight then cleaved his overlay unit in two.

"Go! Honor Knight! Barian Honor SLASH!"

Then the great knight lunged forward, attacking Heartland directly, blowing him back with the force of his blade.

[Heartland's LP – 4000 → 1500 LP]

"Now, it's time for me to squash that fly, Heartland," Sirius continued. "I play the spell card, **Sacred Wings of Power!** This spell card lets me double my monster's attack points. And since Numbers can only be destroyed by other Numbers, I'll equip it to Glorious Serpent!"

The great serpent's wings then became white, like the snow, and he let out a roar as his attack points jumped.

[Glorious Serpent – 3000 → 6000 ATK]

"That-That's impossible!" Heartland shouted.

"Very little is impossible with Barians, Heartland," Sirius responded. ←[It's true. They died as humans and came back as a bunch of stubborn aliens.] "Now, go, Glorious Serpent! Attack Death King of Flies! Sacred Flood!"

Glorious Serpent then let out a howl, and water rained down on the beast before him.

Heartland was then forced to watch as his monster was destroyed. "Nooooooooo!" he shouted, thrown back again by the resulting flood.

[Heartland's LP – 1500 → 0]

Sirius then walked over to Heartland's fallen form. "I guess I should have told you," he said. "Insects like you...can't fly through the heavy rains. This duel is over, Heartland. You've lost."

"Sirius?!"

Instantly, Sirius jerked his head to the side.

Then his eyes widened as he suppressed a gasp.

Gauche had caught him.

* * *

><p>*The training room – The room they were dueling in is a prototype Sphere Field. That way, I have an excuse to get Sirius into his Barian Form. (Timeline fits too.)<p>

* * *

><p><strong>D.T.B: Okay, yeah. Next chapter will DEFINITELY be the last chapter of this story. MAN! It really did take on it's own life. I thought for sure it would take only three chapters.<strong>

**Sirius: Should I be worried?**

**D.T.B: Depends on when you usually worry. Anyhow, please review. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**D.T.B: Fi~Nal Chapter. Yay! Now we shall see the truth. What is Gauche going to do? Why did Galaxy-Eyes hate Sirius so? What is going to happen in Sirius' future? LET'S FIND OUT!**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6<p>

The White Knight of Barian

* * *

><p>Sirius looked at Gauche's face with eyes the size of tea cup saucers. The red-haired gorilla's face was unusually pale and he was pointing at Sirius with a trembling finger. "G-Gauche," Sirius choked under his breath.<p>

"Sirius," Gauche barely squeaked. "Is that really you? What happened to you?!"

Sirius had to turn away and growl. Then he let out a sigh and walked towards Gauche, his form changing from pure white to his human self. Then he ripped his glasses away from his face as he passed Gauche's frozen form. "Thanks for the duel skills, Heartland," he said. "I didn't think I'd appreciate them as much as I do." A light grin crossed his face. "Thanks."

Then he walked down the hall, placing his glasses back on his face.

* * *

><p>He didn't bother packing up after that duel. He didn't have anything especially worth packing anyway. Just his deck and the clothing on his back. No way was he bringing that stupid skin-tight suit with him.<p>

With a light sigh, he held his deck in his hand and looked out his window. The moon was gracing the sky that night, something that brought a smile to his face. "Well, I've learned all I can," he said. "Time to go home."

He then walked out of his room and went down the hall.

Fortunately for him, he had the memory of a steel trap when it came to his blunders. ←[So not joking.] He remembered the many twists and turns he had to take to get to the one place he wanted to get to.

Haruto's bedroom.

* * *

><p>Sirius opened the door slowly and peeked inside. The little boy was sound asleep in his bed, something that brought relief to the Barian. He walked inside and stood beside his bed. "Haruto-kun," he said softly. "I hope you get better. I'll try and keep an eye on you and your brother." A ghost of a smile appeared on his face. "Sayonara, Haruto-kun."<p>

With those words, he vanished, reappearing again in the medical facility. Kaito was still resting.

Good. He didn't have to get dragged in yet another one of those crazy silences that so often followed sitting in a room with Kaito.

He walked over to his bedside and looked down at the blond-haired duelist. Kaito was sleeping – peacefully, in fact – in the most uncomfortable bed in all of Heartland Tower.

Part of Sirius wanted to feel for Kaito. The other half? Well, it was itching to prank him.

Neither half won. The whole Sirius, however, did.

He had something very important he had to say. He was only grateful that Kaito wasn't able to hear it.

* * *

><p>His eyes softened as he looked down on Kaito. "I am so glad <strong>you're<strong> asleep right now," he said. "No way would I live this down otherwise. Tenjo, arigato. Because you had your reason for dueling, I was able to find mine. I really appreciate it. Truly. Next chance I get, I'm paying you back." A grin appeared on his face. "Be ready for a major butt-kicking next time we meet."

With a light chuckle, he turned around. Figured that since he came as a human, he might as well leave as a human.

Just as he approached the door, however, he stopped. A strange sensation passed through him. Calming, almost like what one would feel before a big storm. He didn't bother turning around to figure out who it was. He already knew.

"Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon," he breathed. "Gonna see me off?"

The dragon, who's spirit was practically breathing down Sirius' back, narrowed its eyes. "_Why did you come here, Barian?_"

"Just as you saw," Sirius responded. "I came to thank him for helping me find my purpose in dueling."

The dragon didn't seem entirely convinced.

"Hey, Galaxy-Eyes," Sirius began, "think you could do me a favor?"

"_A Barian? Requesting a favor from me?_"

"Look. I'm kinda swallowing my pride asking you this, so don't get all sarcastic on me." Sirius then turned around and looked the dragon in the eye. "Keep an eye on the two of them for me, would ya?"

Galaxy-Eyes was two seconds away from roaring at him.

"_What? What did you just ask of me?_"

"I know what Heartland is doing here," Sirius said, turning back to the door. "To be honest, it was some of the most despicable things I've ever seen. But as much as I hate to admit it, I can't stop him from doing what he wants. I can only try and do what I can, something I can't do as one of his puppets. So please, until somebody can give them a hand, think you can help 'em out? I don't...," he let out a sigh; "I don't want neither Haruto-kun nor Tenjo to get hurt. Not anymore. Not even that gorilla or the butterfly fanatic."

Galaxy-Eyes nearly backed away. "_What are you, boy? A white knight?_"

Sirius chuckled. "Get real," he said. "I'm hardly a knight. I'm just...a Barian."

With those words, he started out the door and down the hall. Meanwhile, Galaxy-Eyes returned to its world and contemplated about the child that had just left the room. "_He is nothing more than a Barian? I see...so he cannot remember...his own past. Sirius the Knight. Bekuta the Mad Prince. Will he...eventually remember what he did? How his actions threatened many?"_

"You must give him more credit, Photon."

Galaxy-Eyes turned to the side. A large, white wolf had entered her domain.

"_Guardian..._"

"It is true, Photon. He **has** forgotten what had happened. But if there is one thing he continues to carry with him...it is the regret of a lifetime. Must you hate him, even now, when he cannot remember **why** he hates **himself** so? Why he feels the need to protect those in pain? Give him a chance, my friend. You will find that he will not fail twice."

Galaxy-Eyes simply grunted. "_You place a great deal of faith on that whelp, Guardian. Just as you did in the past._"

"I would say that the same applies to you and the young Dragon Tamer, Photon."

That earned Guardian a laugh from the blue dragon. "_Touche, my friend. Touche._"

* * *

><p>Sirius slowly opened the door of the Tower and walked down the steps. He didn't turn back, not until he was far enough away that he didn't have to worry about smelling Heartland. He'd have enough of his stench to last a century or two.<p>

"Well...time to get going," he thought. "I've learned all I can here."

"Sirius! Hang on a second!"

Sirius froze. Then he turned around.

Just his luck.

Gauche had caught up with him. There he was, at the end of the steps, his breath slowly catching up to him.

"What do you want, Gauche?" Sirius asked.

Gauche let out a heavy pant. "Why didn't you tell me you were heading out?" he asked. "C'mon. I thought we were buddies."

"Eh. Not really," Sirius thought. "I just couldn't help but notice how similar to you were to a certain idiot I know." ←[Just guess. I dare you.]

"Why are you leaving anyway?" Gauche asked.

Sirius sighed. "I've learned all I can here," he said. "I have no reason to stay in this prison."

"And you're not saying goodbye? Talk about cold."

Sirius turned away. "You saw me, Gauche," he said. "You saw what I am."

"And I'm supposed to care?" Gauche asked, stunning Sirius with his choice of words. "A duelist is a duelist. I don't really care what the package is."

"No way," Sirius thought. "He actually thinks like that?" A ghost of a smile appeared on his face. "What a simple duelist."

Slowly, he turned away, refusing to let Gauche see the emotion leaking into his face.

"You can go," Gauche said. "But remember, Sirius, you still owe me a duel."

Sirius let out a chuckle as he opened up the portal. "Thanks for reminding me," he said. "I'll see you then."

With that, he vanished into the network, leaving no trace of him behind.

* * *

><p>(In Barian World)<p>

Durbe was resting against the highest balcony in all of the Barian Emperor palace. His eyes were directed to the garnet world beneath him. The destruction, the screams; he didn't know why, but he'd both heard and seen them before. It wrenched his jeweled heart to see those things happen to his people.

"Oh, Durbe," Nasch said, appearing from behind the wall. "There you are."

"I'm sorry," Durbe said, casting Nasch a sidelong glance. "I felt the need for some fresh air. That's all."

"I see," Nasch said. "No matter then."

* * *

><p>(In another section of Barian World)<p>

Aquarii walked over to the lowest window in the Guardian Tower. Her newest 'child' – as she preferred to call her men – was resting inside of it. (While she called it a 'window,' fact remains that it was more like a tiny doorway.) "Sirius," she said, "what's the matter? You've been upset ever since you came back home?"

Sirius didn't respond immediately.

"Have you made any decisions?" Aquarii asked.

* * *

><p>"Have you made any decisions, Durbe?" Nasch asked.<p>

* * *

><p>Sirius responded slowly. "Yes."<p>

* * *

><p>"Hai," Durbe said.<p>

* * *

><p>"I want to be a Barian Guardian," Sirius said.<p>

* * *

><p>"I wish to serve this world as a Barian Emperor."<p>

* * *

><p>"I want to protect young duelists, like those I worked with down in the human world."<p>

* * *

><p>"I wish to protect my fellow Barians."<p>

* * *

><p>"What I saw down there - how the children were being treated, those terrible expressions that followed their suffering; I don't ever want to see them again. They made my heart wrench."<p>

* * *

><p>"I have no desire to see the crying faces of women or children. I do not wish for my friends to fall when I could have helped them."<p>

Nasch's eye sparkled. ←[Smile.]

* * *

><p>Aquarii gave Sirius a smile, something he failed to notice. "If that is the case," she said, "are you prepared for what shall come in the future?"<p>

* * *

><p>"In that case," Nasch said, "think you can handle what we do here?"<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Both boys turned around.<strong>

* * *

><p>"The path of a Barian Guardian is never easy," Aquarii said. "There will be happy times, yet there shall always be sad times."<p>

* * *

><p>"Being an Emperor isn't all it's cracked up to be," Nasch said, folding his arms across his chest. "We protect this world with out lives. You willing to get killed to protect this world?"<p>

* * *

><p>"There will even come a time when you should risk your life to protect this world," Aquarii said. "Would you be willing to go that far to ensure it's safety?"<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Both boys gave their leaders a bright twinkle.<strong>

* * *

><p>"And even further than that," was their single response.<p>

* * *

><p>Nasch 'smiled' at his fellow Barian. "In that case, welcome to the Barian Emperors, Durbe, the White Shield of Barian."<p>

* * *

><p>"If that is your final decision, welcome to the Guardians," Aquarii said, "Sirius, the White Knight of Barian." She then walked over to him and ran her hand through his hair. "Until the time is right, I shall tutor you in your dueling. I can tell that you left that world prematurely."<p>

Sirius 'smiled' at her. "Thanks a bunch," he said.

"You should not be thanking me," Aquarii said. "You will find that I am far worse than Heartland-san. And you nearly lost in a duel against him."

Sirius forced himself from his sitting position in the window. "I wouldn't want it any other way, Aquarii-san."

Aquarii smiled. "Then welcome," she said. "I hope you grow to love it here."

Sirius chuckled. "If it's anything like Heartland Tower, I'm gonna fit right in."

Aquarii smiled even more.

* * *

><p>That night, Sirius walked out of his new bedroom, to the balcony of the Tower. He leaned his elbows against it while his eyes danced around the horizon of his world. He didn't know why, but he could feel someone out there, touching his mind despite the incredible distance between the two.<p>

Like a connection...he could never lose.

"Okay, World," he said, "throw whatever you've got at me. Sirius is done fleeing. From now on, I'm walking on my own two feet." He then stood tall and shouted, "Do you hear me, World? I'm through running!"

Meanwhile, far away from the Tower, Durbe the Emperor jerked his head to see what was behind him. "What was that?" he asked himself.

He then placed his hand over his crystal heart. "A voice? But from where? And why...why did I feel...relieved when I heard it?"

A question only time would be able to answer.

* * *

><p><strong>D.T.B: Yay! Oh, yeah! It's done now! So. Any questions that might have been raised will be eventually addressed. I did that on purpose. After all, this IS his past prior to becoming a Barian Guardian. We can't have all the answers THIS early. <strong>

**Thank you, those who favorited and followed and reviewed. Your kind words and encouragement helped make this story a reality. :)**

**But that doesn't mean you should stop reviewing! Please review!**


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